Sending medical supplies to Ukraine, unlikely to make a big difference

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it has documented 18 attacks on health facilities, workers and ambulances since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the U.N. health agency has delivered 81 metric tons of supplies to Ukraine and is now establishing a pipeline to send further equipment. To date, Ghebreyeseus said WHO had sent enough surgical supplies to treat 150 trauma patients and other supplies for a range of health conditions to treat 45,000 people.

Dr. Michael Ryan, WHO’s emergencies chief, acknowledged that sending medical supplies to Ukraine was unlikely to make a big difference.

“This is putting bandages on mortal wounds right now,” he said.

WHO chief Tedros said some of the main health challenges officials were facing in Ukraine were hypothermia and frostbite, respiratory disease, heart disease, cancer and mental health issues. He added that WHO staffers have been sent to countries neighbouring Ukraine to provide mental health support to fleeing refugees, mostly women and children.

Meanwhile, City authorties in the besieged southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol are burying their dead in a mass grave.

With the city under steady bombardment, officials have been waiting for a chance to allow individual burials to resume. But with morgues overflowing and many corpses uncollected at home, they decided they had to take action.

A deep trench some 25 meters long has been opened in one of the city’s old cemeteries in the heart of the city. Social workers brought 30 bodies wrapped in carpets or bags Wednesday, and 40 were brought Tuesday. No families were present, no families said they goodbyes.

And, China says it is sending humanitarian aid including food and daily necessities worth $791,000 to Ukraine while continuing to oppose sanctions against Russia over its invasion.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian told reporters an initial batch was sent to the Ukrainian Red Cross on Wednesday with more to follow “as soon as possible.”

China has sought to blame the US for instigating the conflict,citing what it calls Washington’s failure to adquately consider Russia’s ‘legitimate’ security concerns in the face of NATO expansion. (AP)